Lisa Escobar is a decorator, stylist and owner of Lisa Escobar Design, which is designing the master bedroom and master bath for the inaugural Las Vegas Showcase House, which broke ground April 8 near downtown. The Showcase House is a charitable organization that provides educational programs and scholarships to local students interested in architecture, construction, interior design and related fields.
When did you know you wanted to be an interior designer?
When I was 5 or 6, I played a part in designing my childhood bedroom when I asked for a lavender comforter and matching sheets. Years later, my love for design resurfaced when I decided to launch my own business. I loved the idea of creating an environment to make someone’s life easier, more beautiful and more functional. The way our work affects our clients’ everyday lives has always excited me.
What is the best business advice you’ve received?
I spent many years working in nightlife management before I launched my own business. Nightlife owners and executives were great guides. Victor Drai taught me, “Whatever it is you do, be the best of all those who do it.” From Cy Waits, I learned that if you come with a problem, always bring a solution.
How has growing up in Las Vegas influenced your creative drive?
I’ve lived in Las Vegas for 32 years and have always admired the city’s willingness to take creative risks. We are the city of experience; everything here is grand. The Bellagio Fountains prove that you can think big and dream big. We have a wide range of people who come here from different cultures and walks of life. You have to learn how to relate to people in different ways because there’s such a diverse demographic here.
If you could change one thing about Southern Nevada, what would it be?
I wouldn’t change anything — I think it’s the perfect melting pot of people, experiences and opportunities. You can go to a five-star resort or a Michelin-rated restaurant. You can go hike, snowboard or gamble.
What’s the biggest issue facing Southern Nevada?
Education. I was part of the first graduating class of the AMSAT (Academy of Math, Science and Technology) program at Ed W. Clark High School and got accepted into every college I applied to.
I feel like I got a great education here along with valuable hands-on experiences. We need more programs like the Core Academy and magnet programs.
What has been your most exciting professional project?
I’ve been blessed to work on a broad variety of projects since I started my business five years ago. Right now, we are part of a design team consulting on an exciting nightclub project in Texas; our project is on the “Las Vegas Boulevard” of Austin. It’s like a full-circle moment for me because I worked in nightclubs for a decade. With the Austin project, I have been able to draw on my experience; I knew what customers and staff respond to and how they use space.
What’s your favorite place to have fun in Las Vegas?
The performing arts matter to me, so I love the Smith Center and I love that fellow local nightlife graduates-turned-successful businesspeople are creating events like the annual Life is Beautiful music and art festival. So much culture is coming into Las Vegas that wasn’t here when I was a kid.
Where do you see yourself and your company in 10 years?
I will still be based in Las Vegas, but taking on international clients and projects. I’ll still have a boutique-minded model, because I like my touch on everything. I will be doing more brand collaboration, like the work I recently did with Whyte & Company as a “colorista” for the company’s sink and surfaces line. I also will continue my work as a tastemaker and style spotter.
What inspires you?
I dream of traveling the world for inspiration. I’ve always been fascinated with the history of architecture, culture and nature. Traveling to new places and seeing how other people live gives you perspective, compassion and appreciation. I travel a little every day right here in the valley. If I am driving, I will stop and look at the silhouette of the mountain; it’s my way of stopping to smell the roses. Traveling inspired my career path. I decided to leave my job and start my own business when I was floating on the sea in Ibiza.
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
I’d be on a boat that stopped at different destinations weekly so I could explore the world one little city at a time.
Whom do you admire?
Sandra Lee, my late aunt and godmother; she died 15 years ago. From early childhood, I admired her. She was one of the top administrators at Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto, Calif. She had style, she had grace and she was a powerful boss, but she was gentle at the same time. I always knew I wanted to be a woman like her.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
I notice when things around me are out of place or not symmetrical. At the same time, I actually like perfectly imperfect things ... because everything is created as it was intended to be. While I have high expectations of myself that lean toward perfectionism, I have learned how to incorporate balance and being present.
What is your funniest or most embarrassing work story?
I recently met a top executive for the Las Vegas Design Center, a place I frequent. During our first in-person interaction, I went to shake his hand and accidentally rolled a piece of chewed gum up his shirtsleeve. I was getting ready to use the gum to tape a display board that had come loose, and it went up his sleeve instead. I was mortified but we couldn’t stop laughing. I knew he would never forget me, and now we have an inside joke. His nickname is the Gum Handler.
What is something that people might not know about you?
I am a diehard basketball fan. I cherish the pictures taken of me when I was a year-and-a-half old and Golden State Warriors players were holding me. These days, I love traveling to games with my sister. I even had an opportunity to work on an interior design project for a player and his family.